03-07-2008, 03:17 PM
Here is a very interesting news report concerning single moms and and a rise in income.
Single moms earning more in U.S., Canada but reasons differ
Last Updated: Friday, March 7, 2008 |
2:17 PM ET CBCNews
Single mothers in the U.S. and Canada have seen their employment and income rise between 1980 and 2000 by about the same rates, but the causes are different, a Statistics Canada report released Friday says.
The study attributes Canada's income increase to single mothers being older and better educated, but to labour market changes such as welfare reform in the U.S.
Employment rates rose among lone mothers by 12 per cent in Canada and 13 per cent in the U.S over the two decades, the report says. Earnings in both countries were up by almost 40 per cent in that period.
The demographic shift to older, more educated single mothers accounted for two-thirds of the employment gains for lone moms in Canada, but only one-third in the U.S.
"Today's mothers, including single mothers, are much better educated, considerably older and have fewer children than in the past," the report says.
That shift happened mostly in the 1980s. At the beginning of that decade, single mothers were mostly made up of those born before 1950.
Over the next two decades, they were replaced by the late cohort of baby boomers and with it "women with much higher levels of education and labour force attachment," the study says.
Also during that time, the baby boomers entered their 40s — "an age when both employment and earnings tend to be higher," it says.
"As a result, the share of all single mothers over 40 rose while the share of single mothers under 30 declined."
Market changes had more impact in U.S.
In the United States, though, most of the recent employment gains were associated with changing labour market behaviour as well as unmeasured variables.
While both countries introduced "welfare-to-work" legislation to discourage receipt of social assistance, the report says it had a bigger impact on the U.S.
South of the border, a 1996 law made access to social assistance benefits more difficult.
In Canada, the National Child Benefit was introduced in 1998 and Quebec's dramatic increases in child care subsidies began in 1997.
The report says the differences between the two countries can better be understood when looking at two different age groups of lone mothers — those aged 40 or over and those under 40.
Among the older group, most of the increase in employment rates happened in the 1980s in both countries, though the gains were much larger in Canada than the U.S. In Canada, almost all the gains in employment and earnings went to these older single mothers.
In contrast, employment gains for those single mothers under 40 were much larger in the United States. Most of the gains were concentrated in the 1990s, and were mostly results of changes in labour market behaviour.
Younger women make up a larger share of the U.S. population of lone mothers in the U.S. at 67 per cent, compared to Canada's 57.
Single moms earning more in U.S., Canada but reasons differ
Last Updated: Friday, March 7, 2008 |
2:17 PM ET CBCNews
Single mothers in the U.S. and Canada have seen their employment and income rise between 1980 and 2000 by about the same rates, but the causes are different, a Statistics Canada report released Friday says.
The study attributes Canada's income increase to single mothers being older and better educated, but to labour market changes such as welfare reform in the U.S.
Employment rates rose among lone mothers by 12 per cent in Canada and 13 per cent in the U.S over the two decades, the report says. Earnings in both countries were up by almost 40 per cent in that period.
The demographic shift to older, more educated single mothers accounted for two-thirds of the employment gains for lone moms in Canada, but only one-third in the U.S.
"Today's mothers, including single mothers, are much better educated, considerably older and have fewer children than in the past," the report says.
That shift happened mostly in the 1980s. At the beginning of that decade, single mothers were mostly made up of those born before 1950.
Over the next two decades, they were replaced by the late cohort of baby boomers and with it "women with much higher levels of education and labour force attachment," the study says.
Also during that time, the baby boomers entered their 40s — "an age when both employment and earnings tend to be higher," it says.
"As a result, the share of all single mothers over 40 rose while the share of single mothers under 30 declined."
Market changes had more impact in U.S.
In the United States, though, most of the recent employment gains were associated with changing labour market behaviour as well as unmeasured variables.
While both countries introduced "welfare-to-work" legislation to discourage receipt of social assistance, the report says it had a bigger impact on the U.S.
South of the border, a 1996 law made access to social assistance benefits more difficult.
In Canada, the National Child Benefit was introduced in 1998 and Quebec's dramatic increases in child care subsidies began in 1997.
The report says the differences between the two countries can better be understood when looking at two different age groups of lone mothers — those aged 40 or over and those under 40.
Among the older group, most of the increase in employment rates happened in the 1980s in both countries, though the gains were much larger in Canada than the U.S. In Canada, almost all the gains in employment and earnings went to these older single mothers.
In contrast, employment gains for those single mothers under 40 were much larger in the United States. Most of the gains were concentrated in the 1990s, and were mostly results of changes in labour market behaviour.
Younger women make up a larger share of the U.S. population of lone mothers in the U.S. at 67 per cent, compared to Canada's 57.